The Australian insurance landscape will shift when Hollard acquires CBA's general insurance business, the Insurance News podcast has heard.

As reported by insuranceNEWS.com.au on Monday, the deal will increase Hollard's annual gross written premium - expected to hit $1.6 billion this financial year - by about 50%.

This should make the business, which started 22 years ago with just three employees, the fifth largest general insurer in Australia.

This week’s edition of INsight, hosted by Insurance News Managing Director Andrew Silcox, features the observations of Insurance News Publisher Terry McMullan, Managing Editor John Deex, and Deputy Editor Wendy Pugh.

Larger players in the market had been touted as the most likely purchasers of the CBA business, with not many predicting the eventual outcome.

"Hollard winning the race is likely to be more helpful in terms of competition, but it also does really establish Hollard as a major, major player," Mr McMullan said.

The podcast also discusses issues at stake following the US Department of Justice's attempt at blocking the Aon/Willis Towers Watson merger, advisers hitting back after being attacked by a politician, and problems sourcing building materials following major catastrophes such as the storms that recently swept Victoria.

You can find a new episode of INsight published here every Wednesday.